Device for electrically controlling the position of a sliding opening panel of a motor vehicle

Abstract

This device is connected, in series with a control circuit (6) of the driving motor (7) of the panel, to a power supply (2a, 2b). It comprises a series of conductors (19a to 19l) which are electrically connected in parallel and mechanically disposed in adjacent positions, said conductors each materializing a particular position that the panel can occupy in its travel, all the conductors (19a to 19l) except one (19f) being connected together by one of their ends (20b) so as to form a first terminal (12) of the control device (5), the connection of said ends being capable of being selectively broken by a setting slider (24) whose adjustable position determines the position that the panel must reach, the opposite ends (20a) of all the conductors being associated with a copying slider (21, 22) which comprises a bridge element and constitutes a second terminal (13) of said control device and is capable of selectively connecting together the ends of pairs of adjacent conductors (19a to 19l), said copying slider (21, 22) being connected to move with said panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for electrically controlling the position of a sliding opening panel of a motor vehicle, said device being connected to a power supply in series with a control circuit of a driving motor for shifting the panel between a closing position and an opening position said device comprising a series of conductors which are electrically connected in parallel and mechanically disposed in adjacent positions relative to one another, said conductors materializing a particular position that the panel is capable of occupying in its travel between said closing position and said opening position, all the conductors except one being connected together by a first of their ends so as to form a first terminal of said control device, a setting slider having an adjustable position which sets the position that the panel must reach and which is operative to selectively break the connection of said first ends, all the conductors having second ends opposed to said first ends, a copying slider comprising a bridge element associated with said second ends and constituting a second terminal of said control device and capable of selectively connecting together the second ends of pairs of adjacent conductors, said copying slider being adapted to be connected to move with said panel. 
     
     
       2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said control circuit comprises means for selecting the direction of rotation of said motor, said selecting means being connected in series with one of said terminals of said control device. 
     
     
       3. A device according to claim 1, comprising a setting case and a copying case multi-wire cables interconnecting said two cases, said setting case being placed in a region easily accessible to the user and said copying case being placed in a region where it can be coupled to an output shaft of said motor, said conductors extending between said setting case and said copying case. 
     
     
       4. A device according to claim 3, for a sliding panel combined with a rotatable element drivenly coupled to said motor, wherein said copying slider is rotatively mounted in said copying case and coupled to a shaft which is connected to rotate with said rotatable element, said second ends of said conductors comprise contact stud areas of a printed circuit card disposed in said copying case, and said contact stud areas are disposed on an arc of a circle concentric with an axis of rotation of said shaft and are capable of being connected to said second terminal of said control device through a sliding contact which constitutes said bridge element. 
     
     
       5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said second terminal is made from a contact band in the shape of an arc of a circle and disposed on said card in a position diametrically opposed to said contact stud areas, and said sliding contact comprises a central portion connected to said shaft and two radial contact arms which respectively cooperate with said contact band and with said contact stud areas. 
     
     
       6. A device according to claim 2, comprising a relay circuit including self-supply contacts, said motor being controlled through said relay circuit, said setting slider and said selecting means selecting the direction of rotation of said motor being mounted together in a single control knob which includes means for selectively establishing two fugitive circuits controlling the rotation of said motor corresponding to each direction of rotation of said motor and establishing the self-supply in said relay circuit. 
     
     
       7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said circuit establishing means comprise a contact spring which is capable of selectively closing a selected one of said fugitive circuits by a resiliently yieldable deformation when said setting slider is brought from a given actual position to a new setting position. 
     
     
       8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said setting slider comprises first and second sliding means forming said control knob and movably mounted in said setting case to move along a setting path, said sliding means being movable relative to each other in opposition to resilient deformation of said spring and including mutual driving means respectively operative after deformation of the spring so as to ensure the movement of said first and second sliding means in unison with each other. 
     
     
       9. A device according to claim 8, comprising a printed circuit card comprising contact tracks and disposed in said setting case, said control knob including sliding contacts which are cooperative with said contact tracks and said control knob being provided with an actuating means which, in the course of the movement of said knob for selecting, is capable of selectively opening adjacent switches respectively connected to said adjacent conductors and disposed on said printed circuit card. 
     
     
       10. A device according to claim 5, wherein said contact stud areas provided in said copying case have angular extents which are different, depending on the travel of said copying slider, so as to determine the length of "pitches" of displacement of said panel. 
     
     
       11. A device according to claim 1, comprising capacitors inserted between said first terminal and end conductors of said series of conductors.